How Are You Known By Others?

“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” Philippians 4:5

I always thought this verse meant that I shouldn’t be pushy. Or, you’re only to drink in moderation, so moderate yourself. Yes, it was my funky private interpretation and it says in 1 Peter we’re not supposed to do that. Lol… So now that I look at the literal translation it makes more sense.

For those of you following specific Greek words, the word in the KJV version, “known” is the Greek word ginōskō. I’ve mentioned this one a few times and it would make a great word study for anyone interested. Ginōskō means, to know by experiencing something personally. It’s that moment when something you knew on the surface, or someone you know on the surface, becomes more personal and gels in a deeper way. There is a difference between meeting someone on Facebook and meeting them in person. The meeting in person is ginōskō.

Foreberance is just like the literal says active consideration and gentleness. WHY ON EARTH would God ask us to be known by all men in this way?

I’m going to let you answer that by looking in the context.

“4) Rejoice always and again I say rejoice,

5) Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord [is] at hand.

6) Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Phil. 4:4-6

Okay, I’m ridiculously thrilled here. I just found something amazing. Verse four is a “figure of speech” called an “epanadiplosis or encircling”. This is when there is a word repeated at the end of the sentence. Or it is a word at the beginning and the end of a sentence. “It means doubling upon again. In Latin it is called Inclusio, inclusion: either because the first word of the sentence is included at the end, or because of the importance of the matter which is thus included between two words.” E.W. Bullinger, Figures of Speech

Wow, right. A figure of speech in a verse marks its topic as EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to God and after the first one, I found there are four of them in this small section. As I read through them and their definitions in the FOS book, I got a little lost in the language -eeze. So I’m not going to try and explain them, but I do think just knowing there are four figures of speech in one three verse section is cool enough, don’t you. My point is, God is highlighting this behavior to us. He’s saying look, these things are important. When men get to know you, they’ll see that you are rejoicing, not worried or anxious, and praying about things that come up the minute they come up. When they get to know you first hand, and I mean get to see the inner workings of your home and life, they’ll witness this pattern in action.

We don’t know all the answers, but we know Him who does.

Literally we have a Father who is right here. He walks with us, step-by-step. He sees when we stumble and fall and He cares enough to make it better because “The Lord is Near”. He is at hand for anytime we need Him. How many of us truly depend on Him like that? Then, when other men see us depending on Him like that, it changes them…maybe forever.

I’ll tell you this, on my own I’m a bumbling idiot who barely passed high school with C’s. But with God, I’m a overcomer who’s connected to the smartest guy in the universe! I can’t do this thing alone. Why should any of us try when we have God as our Pilot and the Lord Jesus Christ who bought us the Boeing JET of spiritual bodies?

When we believe this, when we take the time to ginōskō this truth, we’re never the same again. We really will be champions!

I believe you can do it, and as my family, thank you for believing in me too.